WBAL T.V. chose to run an incomplete and one-sided story last night (5/9) that was an attack against the reputation of this agency.  

The story focused on concerns about the Town of Centreville’s spray irrigation system that uses fully treated wastewater effluent for irrigation purposes at a local farm.  

WBAL Reporter John Sherman indicated that the new spray irrigation method was causing an environmental disaster. This is not true, and the record must be set straight.  

MES is operating the Centreville facility in an environmentally responsible manner and will continue to do so. That is our job. There have been no permit violations at the plant or the spray fields since we took over operations last fall.

 There are some soil erosion issues on the spray field, including some washout areas. The farmer who has worked these fields for 35 years said these occur every spring during heavy rains.   

Unfortunately, MES is stuck in a tough position at this facility. The town needs to make use of the spray fields in warm weather months, since stream discharge at the treatment plant is only permitted in the winter. The Maryland Department of the Environment is supporting the town in that position. Meanwhile, others are questioning whether the site is even suitable for this purpose. 

For MES to responsibly operate the facility, MDE must issue clear guidance for operations. They have not done so.  

The department and our client appear to want us to make a judgment call about when it’s okay to spray or not. This leaves MES open to unfair blame and is not acceptable. For this reason, we recently have decided to reconsider MES' role in operating the spray fields. 

I spoke with Congressman Gilchrest last week about this matter, and explained to him more fully MES' role. I think he has a much better appreciation of that now, although the conversation took place after he had taped the WBAL segment.   

We will continue to fulfill our environmental responsibilities in Centreville, but we will not be used as a convenient fall guy for other parties. 

John Sparkman

Director MES